Seals of Fate
by Rowan Cousland
Summary: (ON HIATUS!) Summer has come to an end, and Battle City is long behind them. Yugi, Kayla and the Gang want to get along with their normal lives. But what happens when the God Cards are stolen, and an ancient evil arises? The sequel to Cards of Destiny! Bakura/OC
1. Just Another Ordinary Day

Seals of Fate

The Sequel to Cards of Destiny

By Rowan Cousland

Chapter One  
>Just Another Ordinary Day<p>

The alarm clock went off at 6:30 in the morning. Just as it always did. She got up and dressed herself in her school uniform (which she ultimately despised) of a white blouse with a pink jacket, blue bowtie, blue pleated skirt, brown dress shoes, and tied her curly hair back into a high ponytail. Just as she always did.

She was able to get downstairs just in time to grab a bagel thermos full of coffee, and plant a goodbye kiss on her father's cheek. Just as she did every morning since school had started.

Just another ordinary start to an ordinary day for Kayla Edwards.

Her father, Jonathan, sat in the living room reading the newspaper. All that would be in the news this week were the results of the Battle City Finals, and any disclaimers Kaiba Corp. had towards all the injured duelists and return date delays. Even thought the tournament was long over, people were still worried about it.

Kayla remembered that tournament as if it had happened just yesterday. She'd gone into it as a girl determined to save her brother in his hour of need. Though she hadn't gotten as far as she would've liked to, her mind was opened to the darker side of the world she lived in now. When she'd left the tournament, she'd left an entirely different person. The gold and turquoise bracelet she now wore was proof of that.

"I'm heading over to Yugi's after school, Dad." Kayla said, slinging her brown messenger bag over her shoulder. "We're going to be having a movie marathon tonight. Just thought I'd remind you."

Jonathan brought the newspaper down with a smile. "Thank you, Kayla. But I remember."

A knock at the door signaled that it was time for Kayla to go. She opened it to see the ever cheerful face of her friend, Tea Gardner.

She poked her head into the doorway, giving a wave to Kayla's father. "Hi Mr. Edwards!" she said.

He waved back to Tea. "Hello Tea. Always a pleasure to see you. Have a good day at school you two."

"We will." The two girls said in unison. Tea latched onto Kayla's arm, and began pulling her out the door and led her down the stairs of the apartment complex "Come on Kay." Tea said. "We need to stop by Yugi's and pick him up."

"Again?" Kayla asked. "That's the fifth time this month!"

"Joey overslept, so Yugi ended up not getting a ride to school today." Tea said.

"Of course." Kayla sighed, adjusting the strap of her bag. "Alright, let's get going. I don't want to be late again because Joey can't set an alarm clock."

Tea laughed at that, and began to lead her friend down the sidewalk towards the Kame Game Shop, where their friend Yugi Motu lived with his mother, and his grandpa.

Solomon Motu was outside his store, sweeping away the autumn leaves. He greeted the two girls with a wave. "Hello Tea, Kayla. I expect you're here to pick up Yugi again. He'll be out in just a few minutes."

As if on cue, the short, card game enthusiast, Yugi Motu, came bursting out of the shop doors in his uniform of a blue jacket and pants, and a white button up shirt, with one of his tennis shoes half way on, and papers falling out of his backpack. In his rush, he'd kicked up most of the leaves and dust Solomon had swept up. Seeing this, he quickly turned around and said sheepishly, "Sorry Grandpa. I'm in a hurry."

"No problem at all Yugi, as always. You kids have fun at school today." The old man replied, not even fazed by the scattered mess.

"We will. Don't you worry about that." Tea said, now latching onto Yugi's arm. "Come on. We need to get going if we don't want to be late." She began dragging him behind her, making Yugi blush. A passerby would've mistaken his red face for a tomato.

The three friends eventually found themselves reacquainted with the rest of their gang, Joey Wheeler, Tristan Taylor, and Ryou Bakura, in the student parking lot of Domino City High School. Joey, Kayla, and Tristan were the oldest in the group, all three of them of them now being in their Junior year. Tea, Ryou, and Yugi were now Sophomores. Conveniently, they all ended up in the same classes again.

"Alright, so homeroom first period with Miss Ross, English Second Period with Mr. Lee, Geometry with Mrs. Jackson Third, Lunch, Gym Fourth Period with Coach Damon, Art with Mrs. Keeler fifth, and Study Hall at the end of the day." Tea said, reminding them of their schedules.

"We know, we know." Joey said. "It's the middle of October, Tea. I'm pretty sure we've got our schedules down."

"It never hurts to be prepared." Tea said, folding up her schedule, and slipping it back into her jacket pocket.

"Hey Yuug, ya up for another session of Duel Monsters durin' Homeroom?" Joey asked.

Kayla smiled to herself. Duel Monsters had become an obsession between the friends. It was truly fun and all, but the rare times where they did something else, like the movie night, Kayla was sometimes grateful for.

"We'll have to wait and see Joey…. I, uh…. Didn't exactly finish my book report last night." Yugi said, his face returning to its frequent blush.

"Neither did I." Joey admitted shamelessly. "Doesn't mean I'm going to do it." he said.

"How could you not finish it?" Tea asked. "Romeo and Juliet is the easiest story ever! They fall in love, get married, have sex, and die all in one week."

"Hey! I haven't gotten that far yet!" Joey shouted.

"Doesn't surprise me." Tristan muttered, getting a laugh from the rest of the group, and a punch in the shoulder from Joey.

"Seriously Joey? We were supposed to finish that book three days ago." Kayla said.

"Well I've been a bit occupied." Joey protested. "I've been fixin' up my car."

"I was busy too." Yugi piped up. "My puzzle fell apart last night, and I was up all night trying to fix it."

"You need to get some duct tape or super glue for that thing." Tristan said.

"Believe me, I've considered it." Yugi muttered.

With that said, the bell rang for school. The gang of friends made their way through the doors of the school to their homeroom for the morning announcements.

Kayla found herself in the back of the group, walking with Ryou, whom had remained silent all morning.

"Hey Ryou, you ok?" Kayla asked.

Ryou lifted his head, tossing his mess of pale hair out his eyes, and revealed who she was really talking to now. The sharp gaze in his deep brown eye showed that she was now talking to Bakura, the spirit of Ryou's Millennium Ring.

"I'm just fine, Kayla." He said, faking Ryou's voice in case someone around them could hear him. He placed his arm around her shoulders, and brought her close to him.

"Do you have to possess him during school?" Kayla whispered. "He's missing out on a lot of learning you know."

"Oh don't get yourself so worked up." He snapped. "It's only for his first class, and then your _friends_ can have your precious Ryou back. Until then, you'll just have to endure it."

"Why only first period?" Kayla asked.

Bakura smirked. "Oh, you'll find out."

"Hey!" a sharp Brooklyn accent shouted ahead of them. "Either hurry the hell up, or get a room already!"

A blush crept across Kayla's face. She clenched her fists. "Joey!" She shouted, slightly embarrassed.

"Oh, you're in for it now man." Tristan said, stifling a giggle.

"Shit!" Joey shouted, running down the hall towards their homeroom, with an angry Kayla trailing after him, ready to smack him.

Just another ordinary day for Yugi Motu, and his friends.


	2. Homecoming

Chapter 2

Homecoming

Joey found himself walking into Homeroom with a giant bruise on his arm, and a pissed off Kayla trailing behind him. Students were crowding around desks, some were still discussing Battle City, some were over that, and talking about other things. But all that had ended when the bell for class rang and the morning announcements came on the intercom. Miho, a friend of the gang, a bubbly and high pitched voice girl, was in charge of the announcements.

She went over what the lunch schedule was for the week, the birthdays, and sports results from the past week. One thing she said towards the end got everyone's attention.

"… And remember everybody, this week is homecoming week! The Homecoming football game is on Thursday, and the dance is on Friday! For more information, check out the events page of the school newspaper! This is Miho Nosaka, signing off."

The talk of Homecoming bubbled up amongst the students. Tea leaned over her desk, and tapped Kayla on the shoulder. "Are you going to go Kayla?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"I think you should ask Ryou." Tea replied, smiling and glancing at him for a moment. He was seated in the back of the class, as always.

"I would but… It just doesn't seem like his thing."

"Nothing truly does." Tea admitted. "But I think it would be nice for you two. I'm definitely going to see if Yugi wants to."

"So you're finally accepting that fact you two are together now?" Kayla asked, smiling.

Tea blushed. "I'll be honest, it's a little awkward. I never imagined us being more than friends. But this summer…. It was like we became totally different people."

_"I know exactly what you mean." _ Kayla thought. She looked behind her, back at Ryou. This time it definitely was Ryou, and he was writing something.

Things between her and Ryou had become a bit awkward, because of her hanging around Bakura. He didn't talk to her as much as he used to, but Kayla knew that he was afraid to now. She stood up, and walked to the back of the class, sliding into the empty seat next to him.

"Hey, Ryou." She said smiling.

Ryou glanced up for a moment, and then sat up straight. "Oh, hi." He said quietly.

"You okay?"

He nodded. "I'm fine, it's just…" he winced for a moment, then turned away from her. "Never mind."

Kayla noticed it, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's Bakura isn't it."

He nodded, wincing again. "He doesn't like it when I talk to you."

Kayla frowned. "Tell him I want to talk to him for a moment, if that's alright with you."

"Yeah sure." And with that said, he closed his eyes for a moment, and let the spirit take over.

"Why do I get the feeling you're jealous?" Kayla said instantly.

"Jealous? Of Ryou? Don't be ridiculous!"

"Then why is it such a big deal if he talks to me?"

"I just don't like it, that's all."

Kayla rolled her eyes. "Would it bother you if I asked him to go to homecoming with me?"

He glared at her for a moment. "Actually yes."

"Oh come on, he's got to have some form of a normal life." Kayla said. "It won't be anything more than two friends going to the dance. And besides, the gang thinks I'm dating him anyway. I might need to keep up that image to make sure your cover's not blown."

Bakura groaned slightly, and then gave in. "Alright fine."

Kayla smiled. "Thank you. This will mean a lot to him."

"I'm sure it will."

"By the way, what was it you were planning on for this period?" Kayla asked.

"Oh, nothing." Bakura said, looking down at what Ryou had been writing. He wrote out his schedule for the entire week. "Nothing at all."

Before Kayla could ask anything else, Bakura retreated back into his soul room, granting Ryou back his control.

"What did he say?" Ryou asked. "I blacked out for a moment."

Kayla smiled. "He's going to back off for a while. Also, if you would like, I wanted to ask you to Homecoming on Friday."

Ryou blushed. "R-Really?"

"Of course." Kayla said.

"W-Well, alright then. I-I guess it's a date then."

Kayla nodded. "It's a date. I'll pay for the tickets and everything. Meet me at my house at 7 on Friday. Alright?"

"Alright." Ryou said, a slight smile forming on his lips.

When Kayla returned to her seat, it was confirmed by Tea that she would be going with Yugi, and Tristan was working up the courage to ask Miho. They all knew who Joey wanted to go with, but seeing that she didn't go to their school, and no one had heard from her since the end of Battle City, he decided not to go. Which everyone could understand.

That reminded Kayla that she hadn't heard from Gavin's girlfriend, Yumi, since School started. And to everyone else's relief, Kaiba was off being a multi-billionaire asshole somewhere else, and wasn't showing up at school anymore. Gavin had gone off to work that morning, and wouldn't be back until later that night.

At the end of class, Kayla stayed behind the group to talk to Joey. "Hey you talk to Mai lately?"

"Before we went on that trip this summer, I called her." Joey said. "She's been traveling all over the place. She said she'd come back our way sometime soon."

"That's good." Kayla said. "And Serenity's back with your mom?"

Joey nodded. "It seems like everyone that was with us during Battle City is just gone now." Kayla added.

He shrugged at that. "People come and go."

After a moment of silence, Kayla said, "Sorry about your arm."

"No biggie, Kay. I kinda deserved it."

"So what movies are you bringing over tonight?"

"Now that you'll just have to wait and see. I picked up a couple good ones."

"Great." Kayla said smiling. "Can't wait."

"Hurry up guys!" Tea called from ahead. "We're going to be late!"

With that said the rest of the group picked up their pace, preparing for the rest of the day.


	3. Game On

Chapter 3

Game On

**_A/N: Sorry for the late update folks. I've been grounded from my computer until I get my grades up. Except for on the weekends. So, until then, get used to long update waits. Sorry. _****_:(_**

"Go left! Go left!" Joey shouted

"No, go up!" Tristan corrected

"Watch out for that-!"

"Joey shut the hell up and let me figure it out!" Kayla snapped

"Right hook! Right hook!" Joey yelled. His warning had come too late. The screen flashed, and the words "Game Over" popped up on the TV screen.

"God dammit!" Kayla shouted, flinging the controller down on the floor. "This game cheats."

Yugi picked up the controller, and sat down on the couch. "Here, I'll show you guys how it works." He reset the game, and started up where Kayla left off. In a matter of minutes, he had finished the level with ease.

"Like I said, it cheats." Kayla muttered.

The gang had met up at Yugi's house after school, just like they had planned. All of them had packed their spare clothes with them, and had changed out of their school uniforms. They had alternated from watching movies, to playing video games, to playing duel monsters. Everyone had been exposed to Kayla's insane gamer rage. Just another side to her she kept secret. She was a video game addict.

"Alright, let's play multiplayer." Tea suggested. "Me against Yugi, Joey against Kayla, and Tristan against Ryou."

"Sounds like a plan." Ryou said.

The game had gone on for an hour, Tea surprisingly beating Yugi, and Ryou losing to Tristan. Kayla and Joey were both frantically trying to beat each other, their thumbs smashing into the buttons, and them both shouting at the TV when one beat the other.

In the end, Kayla had destroyed Joey's character.

"Yes!" Kayla shouted, shooting her fist into the air. "I win, Wheeler!"

"That's, what, three times now?" Tea asked.

"I let her win." Joey insisted.

"You said that back in Battle City Bro." Tristan said. "Face it. She kicked your ass."

"Whatever." Joey said, crossing his arms. "So what do you guys want to do next?"

"Hey, don't some of us still have homework to do?" Kayla asked, her gaze falling on Joey. "You were given extra time to get your book report done."

"That's right." Tea said, looking at Joey with her usual bossy motherly look.

"Alright! I'll do it, okay? Calm down." Joey gave in.

"I've got homework to do too." Yugi admitted. "Sorry guys, but I've gotta kick you out."

"No big deal." Kayla said. "I have to head home anyway."

"Mind if I walk with you Kayla?" Ryou asked.

Kayla shook her head. "No, not at all."

And with that said, the two left Yugi's house, and began their trek back to Kayla's.

"How long have you been in there Bakura?" Kayla asked.

"Just when everyone was packing up to leave." He said with a smirk. "See? I've been good."

Kayla laughed. "I don't think 'good' is the word you're looking for."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh nothing." Kayla said innocently. "It's just that you don't exactly border on the line of 'good'."

"Gee thanks." Bakura rolled his eyes. Ahead of them, they could see the lights in Kayla's apartment on, and the door wide open. "Was someone supposed to be home?"

Kayla looked ahead, her eyes widened. "No. Both my dad and Gavin were supposed to be at work."

"Then who's… Kayla, look!"

Looking ahead, they could see a dark figure exiting down the stairs. "Hey!" Kayla shouted. The figure jerked it's head towards them, and started running.

"Hey!" Kayla was about to start running, but Bakura put out his arm to stop her. "I've got this one. You head back inside and see if anything happened."

Kayla nodded, and the two split up. Bakura took off down an alleyway, and Kayla ran back inside her house, seeing the entire place trashed. Furniture was turned over, papers and broken glass scattered all over the floor.

She checked bother her father's and Gavin's rooms, and they were in the same condition.

Finally, she came across her own room completely destroyed. The only things that remained in their place was her duel disk and deck that sat on her vanity.

The one thing she noticed missing, out of her entire room, was the one thing she swore to herself she'd never lose again.

The Guardian Bracelet.

Her eyes widened, her mind running with frantic thoughts.

_"Kaia!"_ Kayla shouted within her mind. _"Are you still here?"_

_"Yes."_ The priestess answered within her mind. _"Why? Is something wrong?"_

_"Somebody stole the bracelet! Bakura is chasing after him now."_

_"What? Go after him already!"_

_"I was going to! Geez!"_

With that said, Kayla grabbed her phone, her deck and her Duel Disk. With everything she'd encountered last year, it set her mind at ease to have that with her. She dialed her dad's number, getting the voicemail.

"Dad, its Kayla. Somebody broke into the house. Call the cops. I'm with Ryou right now, just know that I'm ok. Alright?" She then hung up, heading off in the same direction Bakura had run off to.

* * *

><p>In his pursuit, Bakura was led into downtown by the thief. Every chance he got, the thief would throw something in Bakura's path, trying to slow him down. But Bakura passed the obstacles with ease. His speed increased, and eventually, the two came upon a dead end in the alleyways. The thief spun around, looking for some way out, but Bakura blocked his path.<p>

"It's over." Bakura said, crossing his arms. "Give up now, and hand over what you stole."

The thief backed up until he was against the wall. "How do you know I even stole anything?"

Bakura laughed. "So, you mean to tell me you just broke into a house for the hell of it? I'm not stupid. Though I must say, you are quite an amateur. You didn't even make an attempt to cover any of it up! Now, hand over what you stole."

"Never!" The man snapped, lifting up his arm, activating a duel disk. From the faint light in the alleyway, Bakura could tell that it was certainly different than the duel disk he'd come to know.

"Seriously? You want to duel for it? Come now, I doubt what you stole is even worth it."

The man reached into his pocket, and held his prize in the light. Kayla's bracelet. Bakura's eyes widened.

"So, judging by your reaction, I assume you take back what you said." The thief said smirking. "So what's it going to be?"

"I don't even have a duel disk."

"But I do."

Bakura spun around, seeing Kayla standing behind them with her duel disk on, her sleeves rolled up, and a fierce determined look in her eyes.

The thief's smirk grew. "Very well then. Let's duel. If you win, you'll get back your bracelet. If I win… well, I'll save that little surprise for later."

Kayla didn't like the sound of that, but at this point, she had nothing to lose. "Three words for you punk ass. Bring. It. On"

With those three words, the duel began.

None of them could even imagine what was in store for them.


	4. Orichalcos

Chapter 4

Orichalcos

**_A/N: Hey everybody! Guess who's back (momentarily, but still) Just thought I'd give you a heads up that I should be getting internet back by the end of this month. You'll just have to grin and bear it until then. Sorry. But hey, enjoy the chapter. :D_**

In the beginning, Kayla was doing fairly well with the duel. Over the summer, she'd had a chance to upgrade her deck and find some cards that actually worked for her. She'd gone from a mismatched monster deck that only had few compatible spell cards, to an entire deck built around angel and fairy type monsters. Some spell cards she had kept, but others were long gone. "Good riddance." Bakura thought to himself.

It only recently occurred to him that he didn't grow bored when watching her duel. She always did something to change up her strategy. Sometimes they weren't good changes, but they were changes nonetheless.

With her current tactics, Kayla was able to get her opponent down to 2,000 life points, and keep hers at 3,500 with trap cards, and handy spell cards like Dian Keto the Cure Master.

On the thief's turn, a wicked grin crossed his face.

"You know, you have the crappiest poker face ever." Kayla said, gaining a snicker from Bakura. The man's eyes narrowed. "You won't be laughing for long, Priestess."

Kayla's eyes widened. Only a few people ever called her that, and one of them had been banished into the Shadow Realm. The other two people rarely used it anymore. Acting as innocent as possible, she said, "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play stupid! I know all about you and your little spirit friend. Why else would I steal this?" He held up the bracelet again, reminding her what she was dueling for.

"Good point." Kayla muttered. "How do you know all that then?"

"I have my ways." The man said, prideful. "My Order is more than familiar with ancient magic, which you will now see." He slid the card onto his duel disk.

The moment he did, his disk began to glow with green runes surrounding the edge. A strange electric feeling thickened the air, and the sky grew dark with clouds. Thunder and lightning crashed across the sky. The thief laughed hysterically. "Prepare yourself for the most powerful magic in all creation. Behold! The Seal of Orichalcos!"

Among the darkness in the sky, a bright green ring or runes appeared. Inside the ring, a star formed, and the light lowered itself on the playing field. A great sense of power lingered in the air. The same seal that sat below their feet appeared on the thief's forehead.

_"Kaia, what is that thing?"_

_"I… I don't know. It's an old source of power. Older than I am. That's all I can tell."_

_"And if you don't know what it is, then Bakura most likely won't either."_

The thief took notice of Kayla's confused gaze, and laughed. "Confused are you? Allow me to explain. This card is an ancient source of magic. One that dates back farther than your bracelet. In this game we're playing, whoever loses this duel shall lose their soul to the Seal."

"So it's like a Shadow Game." Kayla concluded.

"Yes, but much more powerful." The thief added. "With the power of the seal, I can summon as many creatures as I wish, increase their attack power by 500. Oh, and the card cannot be negated, destroyed, or removed from play by any means."

Kayla bit her lip. Shadow Games were a pain in the ass by themselves, and with the Seal of Orichalcos supposedly being even more powerful was more than enough to prove this was going to be difficult. She glanced at Bakura, trying to find some comfort. But her stress levels were slowly rising.

_"Come on Kayla, you can do this."_ Kaia said. _"Just keep focused on your own strategies. Don't worry about his."_

Kayla nodded, returning her mind to her hand.

Throughout the next round of turns, Kayla struggled to keep her life points up. All the time that she had spent away from the game had made her rusty. She'd slipped up a few times, placing cards that were completely useless against the Seal on the field. Those mistakes had cost her a large chunk of life points.

Even with her set back in life points; Kayla was still ahead by 200. Her opponent had 1400 life points, and three monsters on the field, all with different amounts of attack points. One of them being Bountiful Artemis. A card with 1,600 attack points, and Kayla was familiar with. Kayla had 1600 life points and two monsters.

On her turn, Kayla drew the card she was looking for. A card that had come in handy back in Noah's virtual world.

"Alright, get a load of this. I sacrifice my two monsters in order to summon Angel 07!" Bakura smirked, recognizing her move. A smirk formed on Kayla's lips, and sweat formed on the thief's forehead. "And I have my monster attack Bountiful Artemis! Bringing you're life points straight down to zero."

The thief's eyes widened as the counter spun. He dropped to his knees. "No, it' wasn't supposed to end this way. I was supposed to win."

"That's what happens when you decide to mess with me." Kayla said. "Now give me back my bracelet."

A sharp cry escaped the thief's lips. He clutched his head, the Seal upon his head glowing brightly. "No, please! My lord, I promise I'll do better! Please, give me another chance! I'll defeat her this time… I….I…." A tunnel of green light crashed down on his body. Screams of agony echoed across the sky.

Then, it was over. Almost as quickly as it had begun. The man collapsed to the ground, his cards spilling out of his Duel Disk, and Kayla's bracelet rolling out of his shirt pocket. Kayla bent down and snatched it up.

Bakura had joined her again, throwing one arm around her shoulders. "Kayla that was incredible!"

Kayla smiled, thanking him. But soon her eyes trailed back down to the unconscious thief. "Is… Is he….?"

Bakura knelt down, rolling over the body. The thief's eyes were distant and lifeless, but there were faint shallow breaths entering his lungs. "His soul is gone. Just like he said."

"I can't believe it… I… I thought he was bluffing… I didn't think it would end like…. Like this…."

"Relax." Bakura said quickly. "He was a fool to think he could win against you. He should've backed out when he had the chance."

Kayla's eyes shot to the ground. She wasn't so convinced.

"Come on." Bakura took her hand, and began to lead her out of the alley way. "Let's get you home."

That night, Kayla had awoken to nightmares of the Seal of Orichalcos. The panic stricken thoughts of what would've happened if she had lost plagued her dreams.

But in the midst of her cries, she found herself being pulled into a gentle and comforting embrace, reassuring her everything was going to be alright. Eventually, his comforting words had lulled her to sleep again.

It was the first time Bakura had come to her room at night, and it would certainly not be the last.


	5. Dance With The Devil

Chapter 5

Dance with the Devil

The next day at school, Kayla had told everyone about her duel with the thief. From there she learned that she wasn't the first person in town to be mysteriously robbed recently. A lot of other women had come home to find their entire houses destroyed, and the only thing missing would be a few pieces of jewelry. But none of them had ever even heard of the Seal of Orichalcos. Upon hearing what the card was capable of, the group had sworn to each other to be careful, and not accept any duels from anyone, no matter the stakes.

* * *

><p>With Kayla's mind at ease, the rest of the week flew by. Before she knew it, Friday had rolled along, and Homecoming along with it. On Wednesday that week, Tea had taken Kayla out to get her dress and shoes, and to get her nails done. On the night of the dance, Kayla had done her hair up into a bun, with a few strand of hair framing her face. Her dress, shoes, and nails were all a turquoise color. Her dress was strapless with crystal beading down the front. The skirt of it cut off at her knees.<p>

Along with a few small pieces of jewelry, Kayla wore the guardian bracelet upon her right wrist once again. After what had happened, she wasn't going to take any more risks.

"Kayla, Ryou is here!" Her father called from the living room.

With that said, Kayla made her way out to the room. Her father was standing in the doorway to the kitchen. Ryou stood by the front door, dressed in a white dress shirt, black slacks and shoes, and a black tie. His eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open when she made her entrance. Kayla smiled in response.

Jonathon cleared his throat loudly to fill the silence. "Alright, I want her home as soon as the dance is over. Are you driving her?" He asked Ryou.

Ryou shook his head. "Tea's mother is, Sir. Tea suggested that we all go to the dance together and keep a watch out for each other with the recent crime sprees around town."

Jonathon's expression softened at that, and a small smile played on his lips. "That's good. I'm glad to hear that. Maybe that will keep the grey hairs at bay for tonight."

"Dad, relax." Kayla said. "We'll be alright. Just like this summer, Tea will be looking out for us."

Jonathon's smile grew. "I know kiddo. I'm just teasing." He put one arm around her, giving a quick hug. "Go on and have fun. Make sure you call me when you're on your way back."

With that said, the two walked out the door, down the stairs, and out to a van parked near the sidewalk. Tea and Yugi greeted them with smiles and waves, and once they were buckled up, Tea's mother pulled out, and took off towards the school.

* * *

><p>When they pulled into the school parking lot, it became obvious where the dance was being held. The outside of the gym was decorated with balloons, and a big blue banner that said "Domino High Homecoming" was hung above the door.<p>

When Tea's mother dropped them off, the four friends made their way over to the gym doors, and gave their tickets to get inside.

Once inside, Kayla finally got a good look at how both Yugi and Tea were dressed. Tea was wearing a dress with a similar cut to Kayla's, only it was pink, and matching ballet flats. Yugi was wearing a white shirt and a black jacket, pants, and shoes. Both of them had a red rose pinned on their tops.

The music started playing, and Tea took a hold of Yugi's hand. "Come on, let's go dance."

Kayla smiled, turning to Ryou. He was reaching into his pocket. "Oops. I almost forgot." He said. He seemed to have found what he was looking for, and held out his hand to Kayla.

A white stem less rose sat in his palm. Kayla gasped. "Ryou, it's beautiful." She said.

Ryou smiled, stepping closer and helping her pin it to the top of her dress. She noticed that a similar one was pinned onto his shirt. "Some of the petals might be crushed. I completely forgot I stuck it in my pocket." His trademark blush returned to his face.

Kayla smiled in return. "It's perfect." She then took a hold of his hand, and led him out to the dance floor. "Come on. Let's join the party."

* * *

><p>The night had gone on well for the two of them. A local school band was taking requests for the music they danced to, and they played perfectly. For most of the night, they played upbeat rock and pop songs. It wasn't until the dance had calmed down a bit that they had started to play slow songs.<p>

Bakura watched from his soul room as the dance progressed. He'd been good with keeping his promise to Kayla of leaving Ryou alone, and letting him have his night with her. More than once he wanted to be the one who's hands were holding hers, dancing along with her. But he restrained himself. Its wans't until the last song was announced that he couldn't.

_"Um… Ryou."_ Bakura struggled to say.

Ryou, taken aback by the sudden phrase from his Yami, replied, _"Y-Yes?"_

_"Would it be alright with you if I could… um…. Take over? Just for this one dance?"_

Ryou hesitated at first, but remembered Bakura's feelings for Kayla. Reluctantly, he replied, _"Sure. Go ahead."_

When Bakura did take over, he found himself sitting at a table with Kayla. She was watching as the other couples danced. "Kayla?"

Kayla turned her head, suddenly surprised. "Bakura? What are you-?"

"I asked Ryou if it was alright." Bakura said quickly. "He gave me permission. I would like to share this last dance with you."

The music started playing, a soft and slow song Kayla recognized as "Shattered" by Trading Yesterday. She stood up, taking Bakura's hand with a smile. "Alright. Let's go."

_Yesterday I died, tomorrow's bleeding. I fall into your sunlight…_

Kayla placed her hands around Bakura's neck, and he placed his around her waist, moving slowly to the music as one.

"I haven't danced in years." Bakura admitted. "And it wasn't anything like this."

Kayla smiled. "I could imagine so."

The song soon picked up. The lyrics touching Bakura, making him think back to when he first met Kayla, and everything to the present day. It was a strange feeling to him, but he didn't resist it.

_And I've lost who I am. And I can't understand. Why my heart is so broken. Rejecting your love. Without love gone wrong. Life Less words .Carry on. But I know. All I know. Is that the ends beginning Who I am from the start Take me home to my heart Let me go And I will run I will not be silenced .All this time spent in vain. Wasted years. Wasted gain. All is lost. Hope remains. And this war's not over. There's a light. There's the sun .Taking all the shattered ones .To the place we belong . And his love will conquer all._

_Yesterday I died. Tomorrow's bleeding. I fall into your sunlight._


	6. Mirror's Gonna Fog Tonight

Chapter 6

Mirror's Gonna Fog Tonight

**_A/N: So…. I'm not dead! Yeah, not having internet sucks major ass! But things should be straightened out soon! I promise! Pinky swear! Also, a very interesting review was posted on _**_Summer Nights,** and got me thinking a bit. And I know some others are thinking the same thing. But fear not! All shall be revealing in due time *grins* Ahem. But anywhosies, I'm back baby! For now….**_

* * *

><p>It wasn't until after the dance that the gang had learned where Tristan and Miho had ended up. Not wanting to take up the room in the van (that was his excuse anyway) Tristan had decided to take Miho to and from the dance on his motorcycle.<p>

When the gang learned this, they dismissed it.

They had also understood when "Ryou" had offered to walk Kayla home at around 11:00. And with that said, the gang had gone their separate ways for the night.

"So, asking for permission, slow dancing, escorting me home. What's up with you Bakura? Even I know this isn't like you." Kayla said as they walked. "Did your promise really mean that much?"

Bakura shrugged. "I guess. It seemed like something I had to do at the time."

"Oh admit it. Deep inside Mr. Dark and Gloomy is a big softie just begging to be let out." Kayla teased.

"Like hell." Bakura snorted. But Kayla only laughed. "Relax Kura. Your secret's safe with me."

"Since when did you start calling me Kura?"

Kayla paused for a moment. "I honestly have no idea…. Huh. Wonder where that came from."

"Well don't do it again. It's… weird."

"Now that's a word I never thought you'd use. 'Strange' maybe. Or even 'Odd'. But 'weird'…. Never dawned on me."

"Now you're just being stupid."

Kayla laughed. "I'm just teasing. Like I said, relax."

"Your almost home." Bakura pointed out quickly, changing the subject. "It's just around the corner."

A moment of silence settled over them. But it was Kayla that broke it. "I really appreciate you keeping that promise, and I'm sure Ryou does too."

Bakura took a minute before he had answered, pondering on how to respond. "You're…. You're welcome."

"Hey, I've got a weird question for you….. What would you do without Ryou?"

Bakura stopped walking, giving her a curious look. "What kind of question is that?"

"I'm just wondering. If you didn't have to use Ryou's body, if you had a body of your own, what would you do?"

Something seemed to spark in Bakura then. "If this is your way of trying to convince me to stop possessing him, you're out of luck woman! He's useful to me and my plan! Until he proves otherwise, you're just going to have to endure it!" He snapped.

Kayla raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't trying to convince you of anything. It's was just a question. Jesus!"

Bakura shook his head. Whatever thought he had just had seemed to fade away. The change confused Kayla, but she dismissed it. "Sorry." He said. "Something just came to mind when you said that."

Kayla noticed that Bakura's hands were clenching into fists. His body seemed to tense up.

"Hey," she said calmly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Forget about it, ok? I didn't think it was going to cause this big of a problem. I'm sorry."

Slowly and gently, Bakura placed his hand over hers, closing it over hers. It didn't seem to calm him much more, but his anger had disappeared. "It's not your fault. I don't know where that came from."

It was the truth. He honestly had no idea where the outburst had originated from, but it also wasn't the first time it had happened. He'd snapped at her a few times since school started, all over trivial and pointless things. Even now he couldn't quite recall them.

Something seemed off in his mindset. He just couldn't figure out what…

Putting their little fiasco aside, the two continued their venture to Kayla's home. Kayla pulled her spare key out from under the mat, and opened up her home to the two of them once again.

"Dad, I'm home!" Kayla called, hanging her jacket up on the coat hanger by the door, and slipping off her shoes. She took notice that the living room light had been left on, but the hallway and kitchen light were off. She walked into the kitchen and flicked on the light. Two notes were left on the counter top.

**"Kayla, got called into work to fill in for a sick co-worker. I most likely won't be home in time to tell you goodnight. Leftovers are in the fridge if you're hungry. Love Dad."** She read aloud.

"Well that's convenient." Bakura said, still standing in the doorway. When Kayla turned and took notice of him still being there, he decided to lean against the doorframe. "What's the second note?"

**"Kayla, went out to dinner with Yumi and a few friends tonight. Dad's not going to be here, but you're old enough to be home alone so he can get over it. You know the rules. Don't let strangers in, yadda yadda. I'll be home late. But I'm pretty sure you can gather that. Peace out! Gavin."**

"Well would you look at that." Bakura said. "Looks as though you and I have some time alone tonight."

A smirk similar to the one Bakura normally wore formed on Kayla's lips. "You planned for this didn't you?"

"Me? Plan on your father and brother being gone all night? How absurd! I'm insulted by the very thought." Bakura said dramatically, stepping into the room and taking Kayla into his arms. He kissed her quickly on the lips. "Besides, I planned on your dad being gone. Gavin leaving was just a bonus on my part. If he hadn't, I would've found a way to get rid of him."

Kayla shook her head. "You're terrible." She said teasingly.

Bakura smirked. "Oh I've been called much worse my dear."

"Of that, I have no doubt."

Kayla took his hand, leading him back to her bedroom. If it had been any of her past boyfriends, she would've been totally against this. But then again, those boys weren't Bakura.

Once the two had entered the room, Kayla closed the door behind them.

That was when the tension unraveled. Lips smashed against each other, fingers tangled in each other's hair. It had been the first passionate moment that the two had shared since the summer.

Suddenly, Kayla felt herself be swept away from her wall, and pinned down playfully on top of her bed. She looked up at Bakura, smirking. "So that's how it's going to be huh?"

Bakura mimicked her smirk, kissing her again. "Oh you know it." He whispered.

At around 3:00 in the morning, Gavin had returned home. He tossed his motorcycle keys on the counter, heading into the kitchen to grab a slice of leftover pizza from the night before.

Once that routine was finished, he decided to stop by Kayla's room before he went to bed. Just to make sure she'd gotten home alright.

The door was open a bit, so Gavin saw no problem with peeking in for a quick second. What he saw wasn't too out of the ordinary.

Kayla was lying asleep in her bed. Alone.

Not a single trace of her and Bakura's night was left behind. That was something the two had become experts at hiding.

Seeing everything as normal as it could be, and completely oblivious otherwise, Gavin slowly shut the door, and went back out into the living room, where he was sleeping until he and Yumi could get a place of their own. With his current income, and Yumi's announcement of special plans for the future earlier that night, Gavin knew it would be soon.

With those thoughts in mind, Gavin had gone to sleep happily.

At 4:00, when Jonathon returned home, he himself was too exhausted to even bother to take notice of a crystal hanging from his son's neck.

**_A/N: Still can't do it. Can't write the romance scenes. But I think the chapter title and imagery speak for themselves. Yep. Also, Gavin plays a larger role in this than everyone thinks, as does Yumi! Not bad for my comeback chapter if I do say so myself. Hope ya'll enjoy! Reviews make the world go round, and add sugar to my coffee! :D _**


	7. Passion Colors Everything

Chapter 7

Passion Colors Everything

It wasn't until around 6:00 that evening that Gavin got the phone call from Yumi. She'd gotten off work early, and wanted to take Gavin out to dinner. She'd said she had some news for him. Upon hearing this, a lump formed in Gavin's throat. He had an idea of what the news could be. It involved one night last summer without a condom, and him most likely having the move out a bit earlier than he planned.

"What kind of news?" Gavin asked.

Yumi giggled. "You'll see tonight. Trust me; you're going to love hearing this."

_"Oh I don't know about that."_ Gavin thought. "Alright. I'll meet up with you in a few."

With that said, Gavin wrote out a note for when Kayla got home from the dance, grabbed his keys, and walked out the door, locking it behind him.

Taking his bike, he rode down to the restaurant that Yumi had planned on meeting him at. To his surprise, even with his head start, Yumi still somehow beat him there. Gavin smiled, shook his head, and took his seat at their table.

"How the hell did you beat me here?" he asked.

"My mad driving skills." Yumi replied, a grin crossing her lips. She leaned over the table and kissed him.

Gavin smiled against her lips, returning the kiss. Then, he remembered her announcement of good news over the phone and pulled away. "What was it you were saying about news by the way?"

"So serious Gavin." Yumi said, sitting back down. "Just want to get right down to business, don't you."

"Well, you sounded excited about this, I just want to get it out of the way." Gavin said. Though, in all honesty, if the news ended up being what he was thinking, he wanted to put it off until the very last minute.

"Fair enough." Yumi said. "I've kept you waiting long enough I guess." She took a sip from a glass of water. Gavin hadn't even remembered a waiter coming by to give it to them. "Alright, so the story behind my news goes back to last summer."

_"Oh shit." _Gavin thought, squeezing his eyes shut and clenching his teeth. _"I knew it. Here it comes."_

"I was able to talk to some people about it, and…."

_"Please don't say you're pregnant. Please, please, please, let me be wrong! I am so not ready for this!" _

"You know how you've always wanted something more out of life right?" Yumi asked.

Gavin relaxed a bit at this, and opened his eyes. He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah…."

"Well, recently, I've become a part of this group, and I think they might have what you're looking for."

Gavin relaxed at that, and released a sigh of relief. "Really? That's all?"

Yumi giggled. "Of course! What did you think I was going to say?"

"Oh nothing." Gavin said quickly. "Nothing at all. I was just wondering, that's all. Was that all you needed to tell me?"

"Not necessarily." Yumi replied. "Gavin, I'd like you to join them."

Gavin nearly laughed. "Could you give me a little more background on them Yumi? I can't exactly blindly join some club."

Yumi laughed at that. "Right, sorry about that." She began to stir her water with a straw. "Well, for one thing, they're into Duel Monsters."

Both of Gavin's eyebrows rose at that. "Yumi, you know I gave that up after Battle City. After….." He shut his eyes again. Memories of that humiliating failure, and being trapped in that never-ending hell for god knew how long, still fresh in his mind.

Yumi put her hand over his, the warmth bringing comfort to the pain. "I know hun. I know. But that's why I thought you'd want this. This group offers second chances! They give you a chance to make something of yourself!" Gavin opened his eyes to see Yumi's, staring directly at him.

"I know how embarrassing that duel was. I know how humiliating it was to have to rely on your seventeen year old baby sister to come save you. I know how heartbreaking it is to hear your sister's name on the lips of all those duelists. All the admiration Kayla gets is rightfully yours. _You_ should've been the one to make it to the finals. _You_ shouldn't have lost your soul.

"If anything, _Kayla_ should've been the one to lose everything in Battle City. _You_ should've been the one that had to save _her_ soul. _She_ doesn't deserve the praise she gets. _She_ doesn't deserve to have your deck! _She_ doesn't have to right to any of the fame. _You_ do. _You_ are the star duelist in your family. Not her."

Yumi's words were like a stab in the heart to Gavin, but they were true. The harsh truth brought tears to his eyes.

But they were exactly what he needed to hear.

He tightened his grip on Yumi's hand. "You're right." He said, choking back on his tears. "I should've won that duel. I didn't deserve any of that."

Yumi's free hand wiped away the tears that had stuck to Gavin's cheek. "I know." She whispered. "I understand. This is why I know you need to be a part of this with me. You need to join us, Gavin." She placed her hand on his cheek. He leaned into it affectionately.

"The Order of the Orichalcos will give you the freedom you need, and the fame you deserve. You'll become a better duelist that even The King of Games himself. You, Gavin Edwards, would become the King of Games! A title you've deserved since the very beginning! Your enemies would cower in fear at the power of your deck. You would be the envy of the dueling world. Kayla's name would be nothing but a memory to them."

The tears stopped, and Gavin opened up his eyes once again. He nearly jumped over that table, knocking over their glasses and menus. He took Yumi's face in his hands, and kissed her. The passion behind it burned.

For so long, Gavin wanted something to have confidence in him. He wanted someone to believe in him, to think he could achieve something greater. Not even his own father thought he could do anything in dueling.

Yumi had become that someone.

Gavin didn't care that people were staring at them. All he cared about was that someone finally believed in him.

He pulled away moments later. Yumi was gasping for breath, her chest heaving. "So I take that as a yes?" She panted.

"Where do I sign up?" Gavin replied before kissing her again.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yeah, I'm sure_ nobody_ saw that coming *cough cough* super sarcasm powers, go *Couch cough.* I think I've got a cough coming on, better go take care of that…. ;D**


	8. Questioning Beliefs

Chapter 8

Questioning Beliefs

The day had finally arrived. The day Yami had been waiting for since the end of Battle City.

It had started out like every other day. Yugi and the gang would be running late to school and barely make it to homeroom before the bell rang.

During English class, Yugi had homework to catch up on, and Kayla found herself occupied with reading.

Though he hated to admit it, Yami found himself…. Well, bored. He stood in the back of the classroom in his spirit form, watching as Tristan and Joey talked about some movie that had played on TV the previous night. Tea and Miho were talking about Homecoming, even though it had passed 3 days ago.

Though, the pharaoh wasn't alone in his case of boredom. A few minutes into class, Kaia had finally figured out to materialize herself. Once this was revealed, she celebrated her moment of victory.

"Yes! I did it!" she cried. "You have no idea how long I've been trying to get that right."

A smile found its way to Yami's lips. "You're doing well." He said simply. "You've come very far."

Kaia returned his smile, leaning up again a book shelf behind her. "Is High School always this boring?" she asked.

"Not always. Aside from card games and mountains of homework, there's always something to spark excitement. Two girls getting into an argument over a boy, rumors that so-and-so is dating what's-his-face. Miss what's-her-name got plastic surgery. Stuff like that."

"I'll keep that in mind." Kaia laughed. Within a minute, her expression had turned serious. "So, have you decided what you were going to do? About the museum I mean."

Yami nodded. "Yes actually. I was just thinking about that. I'm actually thinking of going down there today."

"You have any ideas on how?"

"I was actually thinking about coming up with a distraction. Something that would get Yugi out of school for the rest of the day. Any thoughts?"

Kaia frowned, thinking up some ideas. She grinned as a thought struck her. "I've got one. Just play along, ok?"

Yami was puzzled, but agreed to her conditions. With that notion, Kaia disappeared again, returning to Kayla. _"Sorry about this Kay."_

_"Huh? Kaia? What do you mean?"_ The teen asked, confused.

Within seconds, Kayla understood what she meant. _"Wait, Kaia, give me a-" _She was cut off abruptly, Kaia taking over her body. _"Kaia! You said you wouldn't do that without my permission!"_

_"I said I was sorry Kayla. I need to get you out of school. We're going with Yugi to the museum."_

Upon hearing this, Kayla changed her opinion. The lessons in English were boring her to death. _"Alright. Go ahead."_ She said, as if she had a choice at this point.

When Kayla's teacher had found a pause in his lecture, Kaia stood up and casually walked over to the desk. "Mr. Lee?" she asked. Unlike Bakura, she didn't have to hide her voice when she was in control. Her voice was almost identical to Kayla's. Identical enough to fool a teacher at least.

Mr. Lee, a middle aged man with dark hair and green eyes, turned to her and smiled. "What's up Kayla?"

"I'm not feeling well. Do you think I could head down to the nurse?"

Mr. Lee glanced down at his watch, and back up to Kaia. "There's only ten minutes left in class, are you sure you can't make it until then?"

Kaia swallowed hard, placing a hand to her head. "I don't… I don't think I…."

Suddenly, Kaia's knees buckled beneath her, sending her to the floor. Gasps of terror escaped from the students.

Mr. Lee knelt down to her, checking her pulse. "Damn, I didn't think it was that serious." He muttered. He stood back up, facing the class. "She's alright. Could someone help me get her down to the nurse?"

Yami, now possessing Yugi, stood up. "I've got her Mr. Lee." He said, walking to the front of the class and taking Kaia in his arms.

"Thank you Yugi." Mr. Lee said, sighing with relief. "I'll get all of the homework to you two on Monday, alright? And when Kayla comes to, tell her I give her my best wishes."

Yami nodded. "I will Sir."

And with that said, Yami exited the class with Kaia in tow. Strangely enough, on his way out, he'd received the oddest glance from Ryou. Almost like a glare.

Once the two were out of the teachers' line of sight, Kaia opened up her eyes again, grinning. "How'd I do?"

Yami grinned in return. "Wonderfully. You almost had me fooled." He stopped for a moment, setting her back down on her feet.

"Almost?" Kaia asked, snapping her fingers in mock disappointment. "Damn. I thought that was enough to fool you."

That one little joke had caused the two to burst out into laughter. Before they knew it, the two were out of school, and on the path towards the museum.

_"Smooth Kaia."_ Kayla comment. _"Real smooth."_

_"What's that supposed to mean?"_ the priestess snapped.

_"You're not discreet at all, I hope you know that."_

_"I honestly have no clue what you're saying."_

_"Oh come on Kaia, you know what I mean."_

_"What the hell are you implying?"_ Kaia shrieked.

Kayla giggled. _"I mean you being Miss. Flirts-A-Lot with Yami. I swear you devised that whole plan just so you could have him hold you."_

_"I did not!"_ Kaia protested. _"And I was not** flirting** with him!"_

_"Really? So that whole scene I just saw **wasn't **you fainting in the middle of class? It **wasn't** you coming up with some shred of an excuse to go to this museum with Yami? You **haven't **been giggling and talking with him during class?"_

_"Yes, but… I mean… I… uh…. Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about!" _The priestess retaliated, her face slowly turning a shade of pink.

_"Oh my god, you're blushing! So cute!" _

_"Kayla, shut up right now. Or I swear to Ra I'll…. I'll….."_

Kayla smirked. _"You'll what, lover girl?"_

_"Just shut up. It's not what you think."_

_"Whatever. Just keep in mind; I'm never wrong about things like this."_

Kaia sighed, dismissing Kayla's comment.

Of course Kayla was wrong. Kaia had promised herself she would never make the mistake she'd made with Bakura ever again. And if it meant never falling in love again, so be it.

But the more Kaia thought about it, the more truth she found behind Kayla's words.

What if she _was_ falling for Yami?

She shook her head, trying to dismiss it all. But the thoughts stuck to her mind. _"I can't be."_ She thought. _"I've spent all this time building a wall. I've been fighting to keep things like this from happening. It's ridiculous. Impossible even."_

_Maybe not._ Something in the back of her mind contradicted her. _Maybe someone has finally cracked that wall. Maybe it is possible to fall in love again._

_"No!"_ she argued with that voice. She knew it wasn't Kayla's this time. It was something totally new to her._ "I'm not falling in love with him. I can't. I won't!"_

"Kaia?"

Yami's voice snapped Kaia back to attention. "Huh? What's up?" she replied.

"Are you coming?"

Kaia glanced ahead, seeing that they were standing at the steps of the museum. Yami stood a step ahead of her, holding out his hand. It was now, or never.

She nodded, taking his hand.

Together, the two walked towards the doors. Together, they were ready to face their destiny. The two of them were ready to face what was to come.

_"Just liked the good old days"_ Kaia thought. _"Or, what I can remember of them at least. But at least now, we can relive all of that… Oh my Ra. I… I think I am falling for him!"_

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: See? I told you there would be some Kaia/Yami in there :D this ought to cause some serious drama later on….. So yeah, I'm not dead! I had a serious inspiration meltdown, and then I started writing a Sailor Moon/Yu-Gi-Oh fan fic, and I focused a bit on that. But the plus side is, it got my inspiration for this story jogging again! So yeah! Hope you all liked this sneaky little update. Also, what do you think of that Yami/Kaia pairing? Love it? Hate it? Give some feedback :D_**


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